I SPY || 𝕝𝕦𝕔𝕚𝕦𝕤 𝕞𝕒𝕝𝕗𝕠𝕪

Chapter 23. Prophecy

The golden trio raced up the grand staircase, its moving stairs swinging around them, Astrid followed in tow, doing her best to keep up.

            "Harry, are you sure?" Hermione fretted.

            "I saw it! It's just like with Mr. Weasley! It's the door I've been dreaming about, I couldn't remember where I'd seen it before." Harry exclaimed, he sounded utterly convinced Sirius was in danger, that he was being tortured that very second, Astrid couldn't bare to think about it, she'd seen the effects of the cruciatus curse. "Sirius said that Voldemort was after something, something he didn't have the last time, in the department of mysteries." Harry explained. Astrid managed to catch up to the trio, gripping her waist and trying to breathe through the stitch in her side.

            "I saw something, in Snapes office... a note... about a prophecy in the department of mysteries Harry," Astrid panted.

            "Harry, please just listen!" Hermione pleaded bringing everyone to a halt, "What if Voldemort meant for you to see this? What if he's only hurting Sirius because he's trying to get to you?" Astrid admitted Hermione had a point, if the Dark Lord was aware of their connection, of Harry's ability to see, he could well have laid out a trap for him.

            "Hermione has a point Harry, this could be a trap," Astrid hated to say it, because if it was a trap, then Harry would be walking straight into it, he could die at the hand of the Dark Lord. If it wasn't then Sirius could be served the same fate. Astrid felt pulled into two different directions and didn't know which to follow.

            "What if he is?" Harry's voice faltered, "I'm supposed to just let him die?"

            "No one's saying we're going to let Sirius die Harry, we have to be careful and level headed about this though, we must always expect the worst," Astrid breathed, her father would be proud of her in that moment, turns out she had been listening to his yammering over the years.

            "He's the only family I've got left," Harry said sadly, allowing his emotions to rule his judgement.

            "What do we do?" Asked Ron.

            "We'll have to use the floo network," Harry surmised, as he shot up the stairs.

            "Umbridge has the chimneys under surveillance." Hermione stressed.

            "Not all of them... the one in her office, I've used it a few times now to slip out of the castle," Astrid admitted, it was the only way to attend her appointments at St Mungo's without Umbridge being aware of her situation. She waited for the woman in pink to go to breakfast or lunch and then slipped in. Then she would hang around in muggle London until dinner and slip back in.

            "Umbridge's office it is then," Ron sighed.

            "We need to change first, you can't be rocking up the ministry in Hogwarts robes, you'll stand out like a sore thumb," Astrid told the trio. "Go change, I'll meet you at Umbridge's office in fifteen minutes,"

            Astrid watched the trio race off up the stairs to the Gryffindor common room, whilst Astrid took a turn down and headed towards her chambers.

            Quickly she changed into something more agile than her summer dress. Pewter sports leggings that sit high on her waist above her bump, they were easy to move in and comfortable. She slipped on a lilac sports top, it was a bit snugger than the last time she wore it, it sat tight against her new curves and highlighted her bump. She didn't have time to find something else suitable, she would just have to not fret over what people might think. She slipped on some grey running trainers and tucked her wand next to her hip in her waistband and ran out the door.